Mysteries Of Kaua‘i’s Endangered Seabirds To Be Unraveled By Dr. Nick Holmes

Public lecture on July 13, Kaua‘i Community College

Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i (June 29) – The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) brings Kaua‘i’s endangered Newell’s Shearwater (‘a‘o) and Hawaiian Petrel (‘ua‘u) seabirds center stage during a public lecture by Dr. Nick Holmes. The lecture will take place on Friday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Community College cafeteria. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Holmes’ lecture, “Unraveling the Mysteries of Kaua‘i’s Endangered Seabirds,” will include amazing life histories of the seabirds, highlight fieldwork that has been done, and outline some of the techniques and the difficulties in monitoring and protecting these sparse animals on the Garden Isle.

“‘A‘o and ‘Ua‘u are two species of endangered Hawaiian seabirds that return to Kaua‘i each summer. These marine birds lead a bizarre double life, traveling great distances when at sea, and raising their young in burrows upon steeply forested mountains and cliffs,” said Dr. Holmes.

Dr. Holmes is the coordinator of the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP). The project is a collaboration of events between the University of Hawai‘i, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the State Department of Forestry and Wildlife. Its purpose is to identify the breeding locations of rare and endangered seabirds living on Kaua‘i, monitor their populations, identify threats, and initiate conservation efforts to alleviate threats. In 2006, Dr. Holmes’ team located the first documented breeding colony of ‘ua‘u in the Upper Limahuli Preserve.

For more information on the lecture, please call Brianna Wilkerson at (808) 332-7324, ext. 250.

A non-profit organization, NTBG is dedicated to saving tropical plants through conservation, scientific research, and education. Its network of gardens and preserves include McBryde Garden, Allerton Garden, and Limahuli Garden and Preserve on the island of Kaua‘i; Kahanu Garden on Maui; The Kampong in Florida; and two preserves on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. With nearly 1,800 acres encompassing various tropical ecosystems, extensive living collections of endangered or at-risk species, and precious cultural and historical features, NTBG plays an important role in the complex web of life. For membership or more information, call (808) 332-7324 x246 or visit www.ntbg.org.

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